More than 30 leaders in the Syracuse community will come together this week at Syracuse University to share something that is special to them: the mission, vision and successes of their nonprofits.
The 32nd annual “Show and Tell” event, organized by the Syracuse/Onondaga County Youth Bureau, will bring together members of local nonprofit organizations that serve youth in the City of Syracuse. This is the first time the community event will be held at Syracuse University, giving students, faculty and staff a special opportunity to connect with the Syracuse community.
“Show and Tell” helps potential volunteers connect with the multitude of local nonprofits all under one roof, in one day. Each nonprofit leader will have a few minutes to explain their mission and how students, faculty, staff and community members in the audience can get involved. The gathering will take place on Friday, Sept. 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Goldstein Student Center on South Campus.
Syeisha Byrd, director of the Office of Engagement Programs in Hendricks Chapel, partnered with the Syracuse/Onondaga County Youth Bureau to bring “Show and Tell” to campus this year. After attending the event for many years, she realized that it was an important opportunity for learning about the many youth-serving nonprofits in Onondaga County.
“In past years, I remember wishing I could have brought a van load of Syracuse University students with me to attend the event,” Byrd says. “It is the perfect opportunity for students to find volunteer and internship opportunities and for faculty to build new partners for service-learning courses.”
Since its inception in 1987, this event has been primarily targeted to the Syracuse community. As a result of this partnership with Syracuse University, “Show and Tell” will now have an expanded impact and a larger room for all of the presenters.
The participating nonprofits come from a variety of fields, including jobs training, health services, youth development and juvenile justice programming. There are typically 25 agencies that present, but a longer program this year will allow 32 programs to participate.
Joe King, project coordinator in Syracuse/Onondaga County Youth Bureau and lead organizer of “Show and Tell,” says the agencies that present each year are similar, but new nonprofits are added to give everyone equal opportunity. This year’s agencies include the Boys & Girls Club, the McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center, ARISE and many more.
King says “Show and Tell” is key to bringing these organizations together for recruitment, networking and dispelling myths about youth and the community.
“Community service allows people to understand young people better,” King says. “Everyone is a product of their social environment. Community service helps educate, and breaks down social barriers to understanding youth and the complex issues that they face today.”
Lunch will be provided during the session. Parking is also available in the lot adjacent to the Goldstein Student Center. For more information, contact Syeisha Byrd at smbyrd@syr.edu or 315.443.1254.
Bringing “Show and Tell” to campus helps introduce students, faculty and staff to a variety of service organizations in the Central New York community. Beginning on Sunday, Oct. 27, volunteers representing Syracuse University will underscore what it means to be Orange by sharing their time and talent in a variety of ways to better their communities. The University is committed to providing 15,000 hours of community service over 150 days, culminating with the celebration of the University’s 150th birthday on Tuesday, March 24, 2020.
